Colorado Gulch Wetlands Bench Test

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Colorado Ui~lch Ii'etlanc~s Beach Test Tech»~cal ~1len~oranc~rin~ volunteer wetl~uids has shown to subst<lntially drop sulfate and iron concentrations by levels of 28% to 99%, depending on the ph~-sical and biological variations that eiist within the wetland (NRMI. 2002). With the help of James Gusek (Golder Associates Inc.) and the Colorado School of Mines. CMC NRM will construct a wetland bench test consisting of four substrate recipes and a control, in an attempt to determine the most effective materials combination for of removing metals from Colorado Gulch «aters. Each cell ~~~ill be contained in a controlled enviromnent on the CMC campus and Colorado Gulch ~~ ater ~~-ill be pumped through the cells simulating a flo~~~ thru wetland. The control is included in this test to account for anv contamination that maV be introduced via the substrate materials used in the cells. Effluent ~~~ater qualit<- parameters of pH, Eh...~~-ill be collected dai1~-, and sample aliquots ~~~ill be collected once a week over an 8-« eek period from August thru October 2006. Samples will be anah-zed for acidity-, sulfate, and total and dissolved metals content using standard EPA anal~-sis techniques. This document provides the methods used for: • Construction of the five holding cells • Substrate recipe design • Floe- through cells and ~~-ater qualiti<- • Dail~r refilling of Colorado Gulch holding-tank • Week1~- collection of «ater qualit<- aliquots for laboratory ~uial~Tsis • Qualiti<- Assurance/Qualit<- Control (QA/QC) • H~-draulic Testing This document is based on the CMC NRM "Summary of Methods and findings for; The California Gulch Wetlands Bench Test" and BLM ``Sampling and Anal~-sis Plan for the Operation of Bench Scale Passive Treatment Cells - Dinero Tunnel". The projected cost for this bench scale testis $12,924.98 (Appendix F). 6 CMC NRM